1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments disclosed herein generally relate to light emitting apparatuses. Specifically, selected embodiments relate to an improved light emitting apparatus for use in various industries.
2. Background Art
Currently, the market for light emitting diode (“LED”) technology is growing at an astonishing rate for use in various industries, such as in the entertainment, advertising, and architecture industries. Within this LED technology market are linear LED products, such as LED tubes and LED ropes. These linear LED products have been large contributors to the market's popularity because of their versatility in usage. For example, the linear LED products may be used for neon simulators, decorative lightings, in addition to low resolution video displays.
Because of their high demand, LED ropes and LED tubes are available from several manufacturers. The LED ropes are generally available, though, in a form that is only viewable from one side. The side of the LED ropes that is not viewable contains wires and components that blocks light from the LEDs within the rope from being seen. Similarly, the LED tubes are generally in a form that prevents a 360 degree viewable angle. These LED tubes have an extruded or fabricated metal or plastic component to cover at least a portion of the back of the tubes. This back component of the LED tubes is usually used as a structural support or a base for the LEDs within the tubes. U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,676,284 and 7,118,248, issued to Willson, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,592,238, issued to Cleaver et al., disclose examples of such LED tube systems with a limited viewable angle.
Referring to FIG. 1, an example of a LED tube 101 with a linear array of LEDs 105 is shown. LED tube 101 includes an elongate diffuser 103, made of rigid, translucent diffusing plastics material, mounted onto base 109. LEDs 105 are mounted on and electrically connected to a printed circuit board 107 (“PCB”), in which PCB 107 is mounted on and supported by base 109. Commonly, linear array of LEDs 105 are in close proximity to one another, individually controlled, and have a repeating pattern of colors of red, blue, and green. When in operation and illuminated, light from linear array of LEDs 105 is diffused through diffuser 103 such that, by a distant viewer, the light appears to be emanating from a continuous light source, instead of from individual point light sources of LEDs 105.
Referring now to FIG. 2, another example of a LED tube 201 is shown. Similar to LED tube 101 in FIG. 1, LED tube 201 comprises a linear array of LEDs 205 mounted on and electrically connected to a PCB 207, in which PCB 207 is mounted on and supported by base 209. Additionally, LED tube 201 has two diffusers (an outer diffuser 203 and an inner diffuser 213) and a reflector 211. Reflector 211 may be used to maximize the light output from LEDs 205, such as reducing the light loss to PCB 207.
As shown with FIGS. 1 and 2, the LED tubes make use of PCB-mounted LEDs with the LEDs arranged in an array or line within the tubes. In these arrangements, the viewable angle of light surrounding the LED tubes is limited by the PCBs and bases on which the LEDs are mounted. In FIG. 1, the viewable angle of LED tube 101 is limited to about 190 degrees. In FIG. 2, the viewable angle of LED tube 201 is limited to about 270 degrees. The use of the diffusers may increase the viewable angles of the LED tubes, but a substantial portion of the LED tubes is blocked by internal and external components of the tubes. With these components blocking light emitting from the LED tubes, the viewable angle of the light from the LED tubes will always be limited.
In response to these common limited viewable angle LED tubes, many manufacturers have created “360 degree” viewable angle linear LED products. These linear LED products, though, still require wires or connectors to pass the data and power signals from one light source to the next. The wires and connectors may then produce a shadow, dark area, or discontinuity on the outside diffuser of the linear LED product. Thus, the viewable angle of linear LED products is still limited from the full 360 degrees.
Accordingly, there exists a need for a linear LED product that minimizes any shadows or discontinuities by the internal connections, wires, or support structures to allow the LED product to be fully viewable from all 360 degrees surrounding the product.